Bath Time
by SecondAlternateLieutenant
Summary: This is pure Makorra!Baby fluff. Mako gives Ryu a bath while Korra watches.


"Alright." Mako sat his son on his knee and looked Ryu straight in the eye. "This isn't pleasant for either of us, but if we work together we can get this done with minimal crying from either of us." Ryu merely stuck his little fingers in his mouth and looked curiously at his father, understanding none of the words, just that his Daddy was talking to him. And Mako was ignoring his sniggering wife in the doorway. "Ready?"

"Da!" Ryu yelled his only syllable and Mako sighed, eyeing his nemesis.

It should not be as hard to bathe a baby as it actually was.

The main problem he had was that babies are _slippery_. So freaking slippery that he could barely keep Ryu from sliding away. Now that he could sit upright it was a little easier and they could use the tub, but with his ability to sit up came more movements in his hands. He'd splash and flick water at his parents, making the whole thing harder.

"Can't you bathe him?" Mako sent a pleading look to where Korra was standing near the sink, brushing out her long dark hair. She sent him a winning smile and shook her head, running her hand over the swell of her stomach where their second child lay. They hadn't expected a second one so soon, but it was coming, and she couldn't kneel and lean over the tub anymore.

"You're fine, he loves his Daddy." Korra assured him and sat on the closed toilet to watch this. "Ryu loves his bathes, right honey?" She crooned and he gave a scream of joy.

"At least check the water for me." Mako asked and Korra sighed, shifting awkwardly so she could touch the bath.

"It's fine."

"It's not too warm?"

"_It's fine_."

The dangerous tone in his wife's voice was a clue to shut the hell up and give their son a bath. "Ready?" Mako lifted Ryu up high enough that he could touch his feet to the ground, but he wasn't strong enough to really stand yet, just perch on his knee.

"Put him in the tub, Mako." Korra was getting impatient watching this.

"I'm going." Mako lifted Ryu up and set him on the mat to keep him from slipping on the floor. The second he was in the soapy water the little boy started to scream happily, splashing his little hands and soaking his father. "You don't need to laugh." Mako flicked a little water at Korra as she laughed, but she easily bent it back into the tub with a haughty grin.

"You look like a drowned monkey-rat." Korra giggled at her husband as he scowled at her and turned his attention back to the baby as he grabbed the plastic boat and held it up to him.

"Yeah it's really cute." Mako grinned and handed it back to his son and started to clean off the mud that had gotten under his clothes and onto his skin. The kid was clearly Korra's as he couldn't go outside without getting covered in filth. Senna had told him Korra did the exact same thing and he wasn't surprised. "Come on, Ryu." He huffed when the baby ducked away from the towel.

"You gave him too many bubbles." Korra commented.

"Are you really going to sit there and comment on the quality of this bath?" Mako huffed at Korra.

"Yep." She grinned as Ryu kicked up his legs and got bubbles all over his father's face. "Bubble beard!" Korra laughed and leaned forward to wipe the bubbles off of his face.

"Stop." Mako tried to be annoyed, but he was laughing as he wiped the rest off of his face. "He should have one." He leaned forward and put a tiny little blob of bubbles on his chin, making Korra laugh. Ryu looked up at his father with wide eyes for a second before splashing his hands and disrupting the entire bath, the water wiping off his bubbles.

"Who's washing who?"

"Hilarious." Mako glared at where Korra was entertaining herself, rubbing her stomach. "Feel ok?"

"Yeah, just moving in there." She shrugged one shoulder, but was smiling as she said it. "Only two months before we have two of them."

"I can wait." Mako sighed. "I'd like to get a little more sleep." Ryu finally let him use the cloth to wash his head and face before getting back to his plastic boats as they floated in the water. "Won't happen, will it?"

"Probably when this one is two." Korra sighed as she held their second child close to her. "Do you regret having them so close together?"

"No." Mako replied immediately. "They'll be closer than me and Bo, and I love how close he and I are." He grinned and shrugged. "Although I hope we're having a girl. You can protect your little sister."

"Da!" Ryu agreed happily. "Ma!" He pointed at Korra who smiled.

"I'm right here, baby."

"Ma!" He decided he wanted her and started to try to climb out of the tub.

"Almost done, buddy." Mako had to go faster or his son would get hurt trying to climb out of the tub and rushed through washing the rest of his little body. He wrapped the baby up in a big towel and set him in Korra's lap.

"Oh you're all clean." Korra cuddled him close as the baby started to yawn, tired after his big day. "We'll let Daddy get cleaned up." She grinned evilly at her husband and walked out of the bathroom, leaving Mako on the floor. He'd have to wash himself a little before he could clean up the tub and help her put Ryu to sleep. "Oh you handsome boy." Korra murmured to her son and set him on the changing table and wrapped a diaper on his bottom before moving to put on his pajamas. He was so tired she could barely get them on him and cuddled him in her arms when he was asleep.

"He's out already?" Mako came in looking drier, but his hair was messed up from having towel dried it.

"The bath wore him out." Korra murmured, rocking him in her arms. "Put him in the crib? I can't reach anymore." She handed him over and Mako laid Ryu on his back in the little crib, wrapped up in his warm little pajamas and slept undisturbed. With a smile, Korra stepped right into Mako's arms and grinned at him. "Can you believe we made him?"

"He's far too even tempered to be yours." Mako received a smack for his cheek but he laughed and kissed the top of her head. "I'm kidding; he does have your temper though."

"He does." Korra laughed at the anger their infant could show on occasion when he didn't get what he wanted fast enough. "But he's the sweetest little guy." She smiled. "I think he gets that from my mother."

"And mine." Mako murmured softly. "She was the sweetest woman." He murmured against his wife's temples. "Come on." He whispered. "Let's get you to bed."

"Alright." Korra nodded, stifling a sudden yawn. "I love you, Ryu, sleep well." She smiled down at her son.

"I love you." Mako smiled at his son, so incredibly proud he'd made the little guy lying there. That he was his father and he was a good father. He was a great kid; a little bit of a temper was nothing in the grand scheme of things.

At least he loved his baths.


End file.
